Molded jamb-frame combination and method of manufacture



Oct. 10, 1967 MOLDED JAMB-FRAME COMBINATION AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE T. B. M GHEE Filed Jan. 7, 1966 INVENTOR. THOMAS E. M GHEE ATTOPNEYS United States Patent 3,345,780 MOLDED JAMB-FRAME COMBINATION AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE Thomas B. McGhee, 2125 Overland Ave.,

Los Angeles, Calif. 94125 Filed Jan. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 519,307 7 Claims. (Cl. 49504) This invention relates generally to building construction and more particularly to prefabricated molded, unitary frames, including jambs and stops which may be formed integrally therewith.

Although the present invention finds particularly advantageous utilization in the field of prefabricated, residential interior door frame combinations for conventional hinged doors, and although, in the cause of clarity and brevity of presentation herein, much of the following discussion of examples of the invention is directed there'- to, it is emphasized that the advantages of the invention are equally well manifest in many other applications such as, for example, exterior doors, windows, sliding glass doors, and the like. Accordingly, it is expressly noted that the scope of the invention, hereinafter claimed, is not limited to the examples shown and discussed in detail.

The problems and expenses of constructing and installing conventional door and window jambs are fairly well known and understood and need not be discussed at length here. However, it is deemed helpful to point out briefly some of the major disadvantages and limitations of the prior art structures and techniques.

Although, premium kiln-dried lumber is particularly selected for door jamb stock, it is still subject to warpage and moisture contraction (shrinkage) and expansion. Thus, even though expensive stock is specified and expensive skilled labor is utilized in constructing and installing the jamb, it must be expected that cracks and gaps will develop between the finished frame and the material of the wall to which it is aifixed. This disadvantage is particularly aggravated in contemporary constructions wherein typically no casing or other overlaid trim is desired.

In addition to the above disadvantages, it should be considered that a conventional door frame re uires approximately 16 feet each of (1) basic jamb material and (2) door stock material, and32 feet of milcore or other edge trim. In addition to the cost of these materials, approximately $6.40 for the trim alone, the labor of dadoing the jamb together, and mortising it for hinges and strike plate, and affixing stop and trim constitutes a significant cost in the framing of a typical residence.

It is furthermore to be noted that the entire unit, if prefabricated is very heavy and vulnerable to damage if not handled with extreme care. In addition, once installed the assembly is subject to additional damage due to impact and abrasion from other construction activities as well as from normal doorimpact through the years of its use. The problem of maintenance of wood finish over the years is obvious.

One approach towards solving some of the above problbs., and which generally require special strapping to the wall framing members.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a frame-jamb combination and method of construction which are not subject to these and other limitations and disadvantages of the prior art.

It is another object to provide such a combination which is a lightweight, prefabricated, unitary structure which may, when desired, readily include integrally formed stop and trim components.

It is another object to provide such a combination the total weight of which may be of the order of 6 lbs. or less.

It is another object to provide such structure which is rugged, impervious to moisture, and which may readily .be permanently prefinished.

ter or dry wall or other wall surfacing materials.

Briefly, these and other objects are achieved in one example of the invention which includes a single, integrally molded fiberglass door jamb-stop-trim combination. The molded form is essentially a thin-walled shell configuration which simulates the appearance of a jamb with stop and trim aflixed. The rear or hidden side of the jamb-simulating portion is dimensioned to receive material having the width of the face of a 2" x 4" framing member. Blocks of this dimension are aflixed rigidly as by fiberglass and resin within this portion of the combination at spaced intervals about its periphery for (1) fastening the unit to the framing studs; (2) forming a reference stop for dry wall, plaster or paneling materials; and (3) receiving wood screws for attaching hinges and strike plate.

Extending rearwardly from either side of the jamb-simulating portion is formed a dry wall receiving shoulder and edge trimming lip portion. The dry wall or other wall surfacing material may then be inserted against the receiving shoulder and between the trimming lip portion and the reference stop blocks.

Further details of these and other novel features of the invention including its method of construction, wherelems has been to fabricate the frames from metal, such FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 2 taken along the reference lines 33 of FIG- URE 1;- and 7 7 FIGURE 4 is a perspective view shown partially in section of adetail of the structure shown in FIGURE 1 taken in the direction indicated by the reference arrow 4 thereof.

With specific reference now to the figures in more detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and structural concepts of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the apparatus in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawing making apparent to those skilled in the arts of plastics fabrication and carpentry how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. Specifically, the details shown are not to be taken as a limitation upon the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims forming, along with the drawing, a part of the specification.

In FIGURE 1 a unitary, integrally formed door frame unit is illustrated which includes a pair of elongated parallel side members 12, 14 which are substantially coextensive and which are bridged together at their top ends by a top member 16. Each of these three members, 12, 14, 16, has a more or less constant cross-section formed in this example by multiple layers of fiberglass rovings and resin, resulting in a relatively thin-walled, lightweight shell having, in this example, a jamb-simulating channel portion 18 and a wall-surfacing material receiving, retaining, and edge-trimming lip portion 20. The lip portion includes a trim segment 22 which is disposed to lie substantially parallel with the finished wall, of which the frame unit 10 is adapted to become a part, and a retaining shoulder portion 24.

The jamb-simulating channel portion 18 may be formed in a manner to define a door stop-forming channel 26 which is formed centrally of and parallel to the length of the channel bottom portion of the jamb-simulating channel 18. The door stop channel 26 forms a door stop shoulder 28 which is spaced from an edge 30 of the jamb channel portion 18 by a distance which is approximately equal to the thickness of the door or other closure member which is to be hung from the door frame unit 10'.

In the process of molding the door frame unit 10, the

finished surface, that is, the surface exposed toward the closure member, of the jamb simulating channel portion 18 has molded recesses 32 formed therein which constitute in effect prefabricated butt hinge mortises, the width, length and depth thereof being dimensioned to receive, flush, one of the butt hinge plates. Similarly, on the opposite side of the framing unit 10, viz., side member 14, a prefabricated strike plate mortise may be formed in a manner described in detail in connection with the subsequent figures.

A wooden backing block 34 is disposed in back of each of the prefabricated molded mortises. In addition to receiving and securing the hinge and strike plate retaining wood screws, the backing blocks 34 are also disposed, as shown, along other portions of the door frame unit. For example, on a single door frame as illustrated, a pair of backing blocks may be affixed to the top member 16 and one each may be emplaced at the bottom or foot of each of the side members 12, 14. Each of the backing blocks, in addition to functioning in some instances as a receiver of the hinge and strike plate securing screws, forms a fastening block for rigidly securing the door frame unit 10 to the wall framing members, not shown in this figure, of the wall of which the door frame unit is to become a part. To this end the backing blocks 34 have a, width dimension which is substantially equal to that of the jamb-simulating channel portion 18 and include a door stop channel portion filling extension 36 which may be formed integrally with the stock of the main body of the backing block 34 or may be an additional segment of wood when desired.

For purposes of securing the door frame unit 10 to the wall frame members or studs, each of the backing blocks 34 may be drilled as shown to provide a pre-drilled bore 38 through which a strong fastening member may be secured in a manner illustrated more fully in the following figures. The blocks 34 may be rigidly affixed to the frame unit by fiberglass and resin bonding.

The thickness of the backing blocks 34 is significantly greater than the depth of the jamb-simulating channel portion 18 to form a reference shoulder 40 for the application thereto of wall surfacing material such as plasterboard, dry wall, plywood paneling or the like. It may be noted that the reference shoulder 40 in cooperation with the trim segment 22 of the lip portion 20 forms effectively an edge receiving channel for the wall surfacing substance; because the width of the backing block 34 is equal to that of the wall-framing members and the spacing between the trim segment 22 and the edge of the backing block 34 is designed to be approximately epual to the thickness of the wall surfacing material to be used in each particular application.

This function of the combination of the present invention is made particularly clear in FIGURE 2 in which the door frame unit side member 12 is shown in a cross-section taken through one of the prefabricated molded recesses or mortises 32. In this view the channel portions 18, 26 respectively are illustrated clearly in their functions of receiving the backing block 34 and forming a door stop shoulder 28 respectively. The width of the backing block 34 may be seen to be equal to that of a wall framing stud or member 42 to which the door frame unit 10 is atfixed by an elongate screw 44 which passes through the bore 38, through a set of placement shim stock pieces 46, and into the framing member 42.

The aforementioned cooperation of the edge 40 of the backing bloc-k 34 and the trim segment 22 of the lip portion 20 of the frame unit is shown clearly as receiving and trimming the edge of the wall surface material, in this case plywood paneling 48, which may be disposed over and nailed to the wall framing members 42 in the manner shown. Furthermore, as shown in the upper portion of FIGURE 2, the wall surfacing material may be a panel of dry wall plasterboard '50 as shown. Furthermore, a clip-on length of trim molding 52 may be supplied when desired, in accordance with a feature of the present invention. A series of spring metal clips 54 are afiixed as shown to the rear of the strip of molding 52 with a frame trim segment engaging extension 56 thereof which compressively engages the trim segment 22 of the lip portion 20 of the frame unit. In this manner when it is further desired to mask or trim the boundary between the door frame unit 10 and the wall surfacing material such as the dry wall panel 50, the trim molding 52 may be readily clipped removably in place as shown without the requirement of skilled labor. The molding 52 may be merely decorative or may, when needed, be functional as providing additional protection for the edge of the wall or both depending upon the particular application.

In this example of the invention, an interior door 56 is shown aflixed by a conventional butt hinge 58 to the backing block 34 through a set of wood screws as shown. In this view, the relationship of the dimension between the stopping shoulder 28 and the edge 62 of the jamb simulating channel portion 18 with respect to the thickness of the door 56 is shown as being desirably substantially equal. When the frame unit is to be utilized in cooperation with a different type of closure member such as, for example, an exterior door, the indicated dimension may be made larger during the prefabrication process.

Referring to FIGURE 3, a cross-sectional view through a strike plate 66 is illustrated with the strike plate affixed to a backing block 34 which is additionally mortised to receive the latching member 68 of the door 56. The preformed molded mortise for the strike plate 66 in the face surface of the jamb channel portion 18 is designated as a preformed mortise 70 and is similar in all respects to the preformed mortises 32 except for being specifically dimensioned to receive, flush, the strike plate 66.

In other respects the structure of FIGURE 3 is similar to that of FIGURE 2 except that the lip portions 25 of the particular example of the door frame unit shown are formed with a greater lateral dimension, in order that the receiving channel formed between the trim segment 22' and the reference shoulder 40 is made somewhat larger in order to receive firstly, a layer of perforated lathboard panel 72 which is applied directly to the framing member 42 and the reference shoulder 40 and, secondly, then covered thereover in a conventional manner with trowel coats of plaster 74.

Referring to FIGURE 4, the broken away, partially sectioned detail therein shown includes the backing block 34 with its door stop channel portion filling extension 36 disposed within the jamb simulating portion 18 of the side member 14 in the region of the strike plate mortise 70. The door stop channel portion 26 with its door stop shoulder 28 is illustrated particularly clearly in FIGURE 4. Also particularly clearly illustrated in FIGURE 4 is the effective receiving, retaining, and trimming channel between the reference shoulder 40 of the block 34 and the trim segment 22 of the lip portion 20 of the door frame unit.

There have thus been disclosed a number of structural aspects of an example of a unitary, integrally formed door frame unit which achieves the objects and exhibits the advantages hereinabove. As indicated earlier, the structure shown is merely an exemplary one; and obviously the concepts involved extend to other types of door and window framing units, including exterior doors, sliding glass windows, jalousies and the like.

What is claimed is:

1. Prefabricated molded unitary frame for a closure structure to frame an opening in the wall of a building in which said wall is of the general character to include wall framing members having a width parallel to the thickness of the wall and to include a wall surfacing material thereover, the unitary frame comprising:

rectangular arch frame body having at least two elongate substantially parallel and coextensive side members and a top member formed integrally at right angles therewith in a manner bridging the upper ends of said side members together to form the rectangular arch;

said side and top members each being formed to include a jamb portion having a channel configuration adapted to be disposed toward said wall framing members and away from said opening, said channel having a reference and mortising block receiving width in the direction parallel to said wall thickness which is substantially equal to that of said wall framing members,

said side and top members each being further formed to include wall surfacing material receiving, retaining, and trimming lip portions which extend outwardly substantially parallel to said wall thickness for approximately the thickness of said wall surfacing material and then return at substantially right angles thereto away from said opening for receiving, trimming, and retaining the edge of said wall surfacing material; and

Wooden mortise receiving and backing blocks afiixed rigidly within said channel portions and having a thickness extending away from said opening whereby the blocks form a wall surface material reference shoulder which, in cooperation with said lip portion, retains said edge of said surfacing material.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said unitary frame member is formed of fiberglass and resin.

3. The invention according to claim 1 in which said unitary frame member is formed further to include a stop forming channel portion formed within each said jamb channel parallel thereto in a manner to deepen said jamb channel and form therein a stopping shoulder spaced from one edge of said jamb channel by a distance approximately equal to the thickness of said closure strucure.

4. The invention according to claim 3 in which said unitary frame body is further formed to provide butt hinge receiving mortises in the surface of said jamb channel between said stopping shoulder and said one edge of said jamb channel and in which one of said wooden mortise receiving and backing blocks is disposed within said jamb channel opposite and in a backing relation to each said hinge receiving mortise.

5. The invention according to claim 4 in which said unitary frame member is further formed to provide a strike plate receiving mortise and in which one of said wooden mortise receiving and backing blocks is disposed within said jamb channel opposite and in a backing relation to said strike plate receiving mortise.

6. The invention according to claim 5 in which each of said wooden blocks and the channel portion of said stop forming channel is bored to receive an elongated wall frame member engaging installation screw.

7. The invention according to claim 5 which further includes clip-on trim molding comprising elongated molding members adapted to be disposed over the boundary between said lip portions and said wall surface material and which further includes spring clip means carried by said molding members and having a spring clip extension portion insertable behind said lip portions for compressively engaging the same with said molding member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,582,468 1/1952 Sylvan 52211 2,660,272 11/1953 Walterman et al. 49504 2,718,291 9/1955 Goldberg 49504 2,925,894 2/1960 Lee et al. 45504 X 3,130,455 4/1964 Borlenghi 49504 3,218,678 11/1965 Russell 52213 X DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH DOWNEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. PREFABRICATED MOLDED UNITARY FRAME FOR A CLOSURE STRUCTURE TO FRAME AN OPENING IN THE WALL OF A BUILDING IN WHICH SAID WALL IS OF THE GENERAL CHARACTER TO INCLUDE WALL FRAMING MEMBERS HAVING A WIDTH PARALLEL TO THE THICKNESS OF THE WALL AND TO INCLUDE A WALL SURFACING MATETIAL THEREOVER, THE UNITARY FRAME COMPRISING: RECTANGULAR ARCH FRAME BODY HAVING AT LEAST TWO ELONGATE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AND COEXTENSIVE SIDE MEMBERS AND A TOP MEMBER FORMED INTEGRALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES THEREWITH IN A MANNER BRIDGING THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS TOGETHER TO FORM THE RECTANGULAR ARCH; SAID SIDE AND TOP MEMBERS EACH BEING FORMED TO INCLUDE A JAMB PORTION HAVING A CHANNEL CONFIGURATION ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED TOWARD SAID WALL FRAMING MEMBERS AWAY FROM SAID OPENING, SAID CHANNEL HAVING A REFERENCE AND MORTISING BLOCK RECEIVING WIDTH IN THE DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAID WALL THICKNESS WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THAT OF SAID WALL FRAMING MEMBERS, SAID SIDE AND TOP MEMBERS EACH BEING FURTHER FORMED TO INCLUDE WALL SURFACING MATERIAL RECEIVING, RETAINING, AND TRIMMING LIP PORTIONS WHICH EXTEND OUTWARDLY SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID WALL THICKNESS FOR APPROXIMATELY THE THICKNESS OF SAID WALL SURFACING MATERIAL AND THEN RETURN AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES THERETO AWAY FROM SAID OPENING FOR RECEIVING, TRIMMING, AND RETAINING THE EDGE OF SAID WALL SURFACING MATERIAL; AND WOODEN MORTISE RECEIVING AND BACKING BLOCKS AFFIXED RIGIDLY WITHIN SAID CHANNEL PORTIONS AND HAVING A THICKNESS EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID OPENING WHEREBY THE BLOCKS FORM A WALL SURFACE MATERIAL REFERENCE SHOULDER WHICH, IN COOPERATION WITH SAID LIP PORTION, RETAINS SAID EDGE OF SAID SURFACING MATERIAL. 